Bible Strands
Ezekiel 7:23
Forge the chain, for the land is full of crimes of bloodshed, and the city is full of violence.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God addresses Ezekiel to pronounce imminent judgment on Jerusalem and the surrounding territory during a period of widespread corruption and temple defilement.
The words — עֲשֵׂה הָרַתּוֹק ('a.Seh ha.ratTok) commands to "make the chain," while מִשְׁפַּט דָּמִים (mish.Pat da.Mim) literally renders "judgment of blood," with the first term functioning as a singular noun.
The thread — The command to forge a binding instrument mirrors Jeremiah 27:2, and the charge of a territory saturated with bloodshed aligns with Ezekiel 9:9 and 2 Kings 21:16.
Why it lands — The text states the land and city are saturated with bloodshed and violence, necessitating the forging of a binding instrument before detailing how foreign nations will occupy their homes and profane their holy places.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 27:2 This is what the LORD said to me: “Make for yourself a yoke out of leather straps and put it on your neck.
- Ezekiel 9:9 He replied, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of perversity. For they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.’
- 2 Kings 21:16 Moreover, Manasseh shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end, in addition to the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, doing evil in the sight of the LORD.
- Ezekiel 11:6 You have multiplied those you killed in this city and filled its streets with the dead.
- Hosea 4:2 Cursing and lying, murder and stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another.
- 2 Kings 24:4 and also for the innocent blood he had shed. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD was unwilling to forgive.
- Isaiah 1:15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.
- Isaiah 59:3 For your hands are stained with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters injustice.
- Isaiah 59:7 Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake.
- Jeremiah 2:34 Moreover, your skirts are stained with the blood of the innocent poor, though you did not find them breaking in. But in spite of all these things